Pelham organizers finalize Juneteenth festival plans, line up vendors and performers

Pelham’s arts committee finalized most details for the town’s Juneteenth festival at a June 15 meeting, confirming a 1 p.m. start and 5 p.m. end and asking vendors to arrive by about 11–11:15 a.m. for setup. The committee also said a DJ will begin mixing at 12:30 p.m. to warm up the program.

The Chair said the group felt “we have a lot of ducks in order” for Friday’s celebration and that organizers do not expect heavy staffing needs because vendors will bring their own tables and tents. The Presenter, who is coordinating the program, described plans for short, low-key onstage interviews of selected performers recorded by a videographer to help introduce artists and vendors to attendees.

The Presenter listed performers expected to appear, including a drumline, the Denzel Washington School of the Arts, the Tony Duke Performing Arts Academy and the African Healing Circle, and said the festival will include a Pelham Friends Theatre open-read (community stage reading) as part of the program. Vendors confirmed include food options such as Mongaville (menu items discussed included rice and peas, curry goat, oxtail and pepper shrimp) and community tables offering face painting and free barber shape-ups.

Organizers discussed outreach and promotion, including distributing flyers and asking the village to post on its channels; the group reported sending notices to the Pelham Examiner and considering additional social channels. Committee members agreed to contact past participants and partner organizations and to plug any confirmed guests into an event schedule for welcome remarks. The Chair asked members to say whether invited community representatives would like to speak if they attend.

A pending application from a performer (Emily Tuckman) and several confirmations still required follow-up, the committee said; members assigned outreach tasks to fill vacant slots. The group noted a community band proposal seeking practice space and introductions to local partners; members said the committee could facilitate introductions but that direct funding was not feasible under current budgets.

Organizers also reviewed related summer concerts: Osmo Amalipos is confirmed for July 25, while the July 8 and 22 dates remain open and the committee will pursue local bands and school ensembles to fill those slots. The committee reminded members to prepare invoices and checks for performers in advance.

The committee closed by checking logistics such as signage (a hand-painted banner created by teens), volunteer shirts (unlikely to be ready by Friday), cleanup plans (vendors expected to manage their areas), and the forecast (low about 68, high about 78). With community outreach and final confirmations pending, the group said the next steps were targeted follow-up calls and sending invoices to performers so payments can be prepared before the events.